Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Arabic: الشيخ حمد بن خليفة ال ثاني‎; born on 1 January 1952) is the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar since 1995.

Sheikh Hamad was the appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar between 1977 and 1995 and at the same time Minister of Defense. In the early 1980s he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic and social policies. Starting in 1992, Hamad had a growing responsibility for the day-to-day running of the country, including the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources. On 27 June 1995, after deposing his father in a palace coup, Sheikh Hamad became Emir of Qatar and was crowned on 20 June 2000.

Early life

Sheikh Hamad began his education in Qatar and later attended Sandhurst Military Academy in England. Upon his graduation in 1971, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Qatari armed forces and commanded the 1st Mobile Battalion, which has since been designated the "Hamad Mobile Battalion" in his honor.

Hamad was later promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed Commander in Chief of the Qatari Armed Forces. He oversaw an extensive program to modernize Qatar's military, increasing manpower, creating new units, updating weaponry, and improving training. He is also promoting Islamist parties in Libya, Syria and Palestine.

As Emir

In the early 1980s, Hamad led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic and social policies. Starting in 1992, Hamad's father handed over responsibility for the day-to-day running of the country, including the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources. With the support of his family, Sheikh Hamad took control of the country in 1995 while his father was abroad.

The Emir is considered to be progressive among Muslim leaders. In a break with the traditional role, his second wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned has been a visible advocate for education and children's causes.

A sportsman and an accomplished diver, Hamad has played an active role in promoting and developing athletics in Qatar. His activism has enhanced the country's involvement and performance in a number of international competitions, including: winning an Olympic medal in track and field; hosting a wide variety of international sporting events such as the 15th Asian Games, GCC, Asian and World Youth soccer championships; and initiating the Qatar Open Tennis Championship which has grown to become one of two premier tennis competitions in the Middle East.

Under his rule the Quatari government helped to fund the Al Jazeera news network, funding it by an emiri decree. In an analysis of Al Jazeera, Hugh Miles claimed that diplomats from other countries know that the Emir is the real power behind Al Jazeera but he also quotes a network spokesman denying 'countless times' this accusation, adding that many independent news sources also have subsidies from their respective governments without this implying editorial dabbling and explaining that trying to coerce the kind of journalists Al Jazeera has would be like trying to 'herd cats'. Sheik Hamad is a distant cousin of the network chairman, Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, who was previously Minister of Information in the Emir Al-Thani government. Following the initial US$137 million grant from Emir Al-Thani, Al Jazeera had aimed to become self-sufficient through advertising by 2001, but when this failed to occur, the Emir agreed to several consecutive loans on a year-by-year basis (US$30 million in 2004, according to Arnaud de Borchgrave). 

At an October 3, 2001 press conference, Colin Powell tried to persuade Sheik Hamad, to shut down Al Jazeera while The New York based organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting commented that in those efforts, "Powell and other U.S. officials were reportedly upset by the channel re-airing old interviews with bin Laden and the inclusion of guests that are too critical of the United States on its programs." The Washington Post reported in 2005 that Sheik Hamad was under pressure to privatize the network.

Hamad recently purchased a Rothko painting at auction at Sotheby's in 2007 for a record US$72.84 million.

Marriages and children

Sheikh Hamad has three wives and twenty-four children, eleven sons and thirteen daughters:

    * He married his first wife H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Muhammad Al-Thani, who is the daughter of his first cousin, Sheikh Muhammad bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani. They divorced before the Emir married Mozah[12]. Hamad and his first wife have two sons and six daughters:

          o H.E. Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1972)

          o H.E. Sheikh Fahd bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Hussah bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Sara bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani – Program Coordinator for Reach Out to Asia-Qatar (ROTAQ)

          o H.E. Sheikha Rawdah bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Fatima bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Mashael bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

    * His second wife is H.H. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Misnad (born 8 August 1959, Al-Khor), the daughter of Nasser bin Abdullah Al Missned. Together they have five sons and two daughters:

          o H.H. Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1978) – Heir Apparent of Qatar before 2003

          o H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Crown Prince of Qatar (born 1980) – Heir Apparent of Qatar since 2003

          o H.E. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1983)

          o H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1985)

          o H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1988)

          o H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1991)

          o H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani – director of the Emir’s Office since 2009

    * Hamad also has a third wife, H.H. Sheikha Noora bint Khalid Al-Thani, daughter of H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, who was the Minister of the Interior. Together they have four sons and five daughters:

          o H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

          o H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani – president of the Al-Rayyan Sports Club

          o H.E. Sheikh Thani bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikh Al-Qaqa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Lulwaa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Maha bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Dana bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Al-Anood bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

          o H.E. Sheikha Mariam bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani

Sports investments

Media sources claimed that Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani made a bid for Manchester United on February 11, 2011. Qatari Holdings offered £1.6 billion to Malcolm Glazer, the current American owner of the club. This follows a series of endeavors by the Emir and other Qataris into the World Football community, following Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, and the Qatar Foundation's recent £125m shirt deal with FC Barcelona. In mid-June 2011, rumours resurfaced that Qatari Holdings were preparing a £2 Billion takeover bid and that the funding that the club had been using for transfers since the start of June, was actually supplied by the Qataris and not the Glazer Family.

From : www.wikipedia.org